Canadian Grand Prix: Sebastian Vettel insists he can make up for last-lap disaster in Montreal in 2011

WORLD champion Sebastian Vettel is ready to make amends for sliding to defeat in last season’s Canadian Grand Prix.

WORLD champion Sebastian Vettel is ready to make amends for sliding to defeat in last season’s Canadian Grand Prix.

The German speedster will be on pole in Montreal for the second year running – and will hope to avoid the pitfalls he suffered 12 months ago when he skidded off on the last lap and saw Jenson Button charge to the chequered flag.

Vettel will have Lewis Hamilton for company on the front row after a titanic battle in final qualifying at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

The Red Bull star set a fastest time of 1min 13.874 secs on his final run.

And as he joined Hamilton at the weigh-in afterwards the Brit – 0.3 seconds slower in his McLaren – appeared to say: “Wow, that’s a good time.”

Vettel’s pole was the 32nd of his career and lifted him to fifth in the all-time standings alongside Nigel Mansell and behind Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, Jim Clark and Alain Prost.

He said: “We have learned a few lessons in the last two races where we were quick but didn’t get it out of the car in qualifying.

“We trusted the car we had and were able to go with the circuit and try to read the conditions and I was happier.

“I was able to always go a little bit quicker. It looked tight but in the end it seemed we could make a bit more of a difference.”

Hamilton, who had been pleased with his car on Friday, insisted it hadn’t been as good in qualifying.

He said: “It was definitely a bit harder for us today. We struggled working with the tyres in P3 and we were having to work hard to switch the tyres on. I’m very happy with the performance and surprised to see us on the front row.”

Championship leader Fernando Alonso starts third in his Ferrari and is followed by the Red Bull of Monaco Grand Prix winner Mark Webber.

The Spaniard’s best qualifier of the season came after a re-design of the rear bodywork improved his car’s downforce.

He said: “It felt quite good and we feel much more happy now with the balance and grip.

“It’s a first step. The work will never stop for us but at the moment we are thankful to the guys in the factory.”